Upscale Food The Ticket At Today's Movie Houses

May 25, 1986|By Janet Grant of The Sentinel Staff

Popcorn, Raisinets and soft drinks used to be enough to lure moviegoers to theater concession stands. But times have changed. More, it seems, is better. In 1975, Jim and John Duffy opened Orlando's first cinema drafthouse in the Turkey Lake Shopping Plaza -- by most accounts, the theater was the first such in the country. The Duffys put in chairs and tables, showed movies and offered pizza, beer and wine.

Movie food has come a long way since and today theaters are becoming more upscale in their food offerings. For instance, the Village Cinema 'n' Drafthouse, the Duffys' original theater, is hoping to offer oysters this summer.

''With the video boom, we're going to have to offer the people more,'' said Jim McGowan, general manager at 21st Century Theater Lounge, 740 Bennett Road in Orlando. ''Theaters will have to come up with something to keep patrons coming out.''

At 21st Century, patrons are seated at small tables before a 20-by-40- foot screen. The menu includes such items as pizza, popcorn, candy, nachos, pretzels, imported beers and wine. The films range from commercial releases to art films.

One incentive to attract audiences is to offer an alternative to first- run Hollywood releases and show foreign films instead. Maitland's Enzian Theater screens such films and also offers a gourmet menu of snacks.

The set-up at Enzian is intimate, the tables seating two to four people. All food is prepared on the premises -- including the dough and sauces for pizza and calzones. Espresso and cappuccino are freshly brewed and herb teas are served.

''We won't put a pizza in an oven until it's ready to be served,'' said Marty Hellwig, general manager at Enzian. ''The quality of the food is as important as the quality of the film.''

Not everyone would agree with Hellwig's assessment.

Lou Cedrone, film critic for the Baltimore Evening Sun, said there is no such animal as a cinema drafthouse in Baltimore. ''Thank God we don't have anything like that,'' he said. ''I hate to hear people eat.''

Sheila Benson, a Los Angeles Times film critic, echoed the sentiment. ''The communion of the audience and the screen is something that should not be broken,'' she said.

However, Cineplex Odeon Corp., a Toronto-based theater chain, has hit upon a different concept for combining the moviegoing-dining occasion.

The company's design concept keeps dining areas separate from movie- viewing areas. ''We've seen what's happened with our opposition,'' said Lynda Friendly, Cineplex senior vice-president for marketing and communications. ''The seats become oily and the floor becomes pea soup. It's fine to eat and enjoy food -- where you're not disturbing the fellow patrons. But we feel the theatergoing experience is sacred.''

In 1985, Cineplex acquired the Plitt movie-theater chain (which, in Orlando, includes the Plaza and University 8 theaters). The company plans to build more movie theaters in Orlando, and two of them will feature lobby cafes.

''We like to encourage our patrons not to come and go so quickly,'' Friendly said. ''It's very expensive to operate the cafes, but we find the people love it.''

In other Cineplex theaters, the menus include croissant sandwiches, French pastries and cappuccino bars. The theaters feature marble-top tables, wool carpeting, state-of-the-art sound equipment and commissioned art pieces that decorate the lobbies.